The Art of War
by f a u n a . and . f l o r a
Summary: When Sakura is accepted into the Shanghai-Hong Kong Academy, she leaves Tomoeda to pursue her dreams of getting a world-class education. But she soon discoverers that within the confines of the school, a war is brewing and she is now in the middle of it.
1. Chapter 1

The art of war is a skill, much like a trade one can be learned in. Ancients have declared that there are only two manners in which one can master the art of war. The first is to diligently acquire knowledge from a scholar and the other most effective manner is to take arms and pursue it.

Sakura Kinomoto had no thoughts about declaring war as she hastily collected her belongings. She stuffed her pencil and eraser into her carrying case and proceeded to pick up her Chinese practice book— carefully placing it in the replicated black school bag that all Tomoeda High students were required to carry. Taking one last sweeping glance at the sawdust and veneer concoction, she decided that everything was in order, and that she had not forgotten anything. Although Sakura claimed she was just thorough in her pursuits, her classmates were convinced of her so-called obsessive-compulsive behavior and tended to ignore her altogether.

Tomoeda Public High School was located in the moderately small town of Tomoeda in The Tsukati District in Japan. The school roughly housed seven hundred co-educational students and about twenty-five staff members. Although comparatively small, the student body was composed of well-rounded individuals who enthusiastically supported school morale. Granted, the school had produced a countless number of graduates, and in correlation, many a camaraderies for its admirable students, but it had yet to produce a regional, and much less a national, top mark. The locals had long accepted the fact that Tomoeda was just as good as it was going to get.

"Kinomoto," she heard her Sensei's urgent voice originating from the front of the whitewashed classroom, "will you please come here for a moment?"

Sakura strayed from her thoughts and approached the teacher's desk, "Yes Sensei?" she questioned, fidgeting with the strap of her school bag.

"I thought it best to inform you first," she heard her Sensei's high-strung voice, "that the test results have been released." Sakura's head shot up and she stared anxiously at the old face, "But, first, tell me if you've received word."

Sakura looked down at her feet bashfully and mumbled an incoherent 'no'. Her Sensei digested the information and nodded thoughtfully. "Well, no matter," he continued, "but promise me one thing," he said and then pulled out an envelope from his folder, "that when you take this home and look at it tonight, that you will keep in mind your best interests."

Sakura nodded and took the offered envelope with shaky hands. When she placed it carefully in the front pocket of her school bag she looked back at her Sensei of three years and smiled widely. "I won't let you down Sensei," she said.

"Good, you'd best be on your way now."

Sakura bowed and walked towards the sliding door that lead to freedom for the day. She walked out the front entrance and down the stone steps towards the gates of the school. She took in the beauty of her normal and mundane school. Although Tomoeda High wasn't an exclusive or prestigious school, she still enjoyed her times with her friends in the refreshing country air. It was much different than going to a school in Tokyo, and she rather enjoyed the freedom from busy streets and the hoards of bustling people.

Her thoughts shifted to the standard white envelope that rested innocently in the front pocket of her bag. The results were vital to her future, this she was positive of. She had spent months in advance studying for her third year entrance exams. The results determined her placement next year in Tomoeda High and her fourth year placement for the following year. She sighed heavily and pushed the auburn bangs out of her eyes. The ironically benign envelope contained the results of said exam in a nationwide cohort. If she didn't place in the top percentile, she would be letting her entire school down. Her school had not even produced one successful candidate who had landed himself in the top fifth percentile since its in 1953. Tomoeda High was relying on her—she had only received several lectures regarding her contribution to the school, and how she had given them a 'legacy'. She adjusted the strap of her bag and continued to walk down the char road.

She passed by the distinct white walls of the Tomoeda District's residential area and sighed heavily when her modest house came into view. Her humble family home was located on the outskirts of Tomoeda amidst the sparsely populated residential housing. The establishment had been in her family since her grandparents had settled into the yellow painted house some 60 or odd years ago.

'What will Otou-san think when he sees the results,' she thought nervously, nearing the front entrance. She placed a hand on her heart and calmed herself before reaching for the metal door handle.

"Otou-san," she called out when she walked in, "I'm home." She placed her school bag down and proceeded to take off her cardigan and shoes. "And I have the results," she continued while looking for her slippers, "and I haven't opened them yet."

"In the kitchen, Sakura!" she heard her father shout. She froze for a moment and then picked up her school bag, grabbed the white envelope from the front pocket and headed towards the kitchen.

"Sensei just got them today," she explained to her father who was standing near the stove, "they're supposed to become public tomorrow, but he just wanted me to have the first glance."

"I see," her father replied thoughtfully as she pulled out a wooden chair from the imitation-oaken dining table. She gasped suddenly and her father smiled knowingly.

"That's—no, Otou-san! That isn't," she said smiling and pointing to a cream colored envelope that lay on the table. Her father nodded and turned the stove off. "I can't believe this!" she exclaimed in a flurry, "oh, this is just too much—first the results, and now this!" She waved the rather impressive envelope in the air.

"Well this could either be your lucky day, or not, but let's just hope for the best." Her father reassured, taking a seat across from her. She nodded enthusiastically and lay both envelopes down on the taupe table.

The contrast was apparent when she looked down at the two envelopes. The standard white envelope contained her entrance test results and the cream-colored bond envelope contained the answer to her scholarship application to The Shanghai-Hong Kong Academy, the most prestigious high school in all of Eastern Asia.

"So which one shall we look at first?" Sakura asked looking up at her father, who shrugged in response.

She nodded in understanding, and then reached for the white envelope hoping for the best. 'I can do this,' she chanted in the empty confines of her mind, 'I can do this. I can do this. I can do this.' She then proceeded to rip the envelope open from the side and let the paper slide out. She carefully picked it up and opened the result page, as a frisson of fear passed throughout her agitated form.

Her father watched as she suddenly jolted, scraping the chair on the floor savagely. She looked up at her father with wet eyes, "Number one in Japan!" she all but shouted waving the paper frantically at him.

But that was enough for her father to jump up from his chair and envelope her in a bone-crushing embrace.

She cautiously tore the side of the next envelope and grabbed for the bond paper that was threatening to slip out at any moment. With shaky hands she opened the page to its full length and read, along with her father who now stood behind her, the salutation of 'Congratulations Sakura Kinomoto'. She released a suppressed breath and let the paper fall to the floor.

*

Sakura tugged on her white uniform sailor shirt and reached for a hairbrush to tame her short auburn locks. She couldn't help but smile at the thought of going to school and seeing her friends and Sensei. She felt her heart pulse louder every time she thought of the test results and her entrance scholarship. She hadn't slept all night because of the euphoria associated with finding out she had done it.

She yawned silently and stretched her arms over her head before going to grab her bag and heading down the stairs to breakfast. Her older brother, Touya, was already seated in on of the four chairs at the dining table.

"Good morning," Sakura greeted, entering the kitchen and taking a seat adjacent to her brother.

"Hey," he replied taking a bite out of his granny smith apple, "I heard the good news." Sakura grinned at him and reached for an apple herself. "Although, how someone as lazy as you could have ever gotten grades such as those is above me."

Sakura brushed him off, fully aware that he was purposely teasing her. "You're just jealous that I managed to make Otou-san happy, unlike you, who just jumps from job to job."

Touya's face suddenly darkened and he glared at his little sister. "Watch what you say," he said a moment later, "if I wasn't working, you wouldn't be happily chewing away at that apple like you are."

Sakura let her brother's words sink in. Sometimes she had a taste of bitter reality when she least wanted it. She waved her hand, dismissing the stray in conversation, "Yes, well, I'm just happy that I'm going to be leaving for China in two weeks!"

Touya, who was taking a drink of water at the time, spluttered, choked, and sprayed the water that was in his mouth onto the dining table and drenched front of Sakura's uniform. Fujitaka, who had just entered the Kitchen took one look at his children and froze.

"What did you say?" Touya pushed back from the chair and towered over the now soaked Sakura.

Sakura kept her calm and also moved back from the dining table and headed towards the counter to get a towel.

"Otou-san!" Touya yelled across the room, "what is she going on about?"

"Please," called Sakura from the kitchen, "cut the theatrics Onii-Chan."

"No, he's right Sakura," Fujitaka confirmed walking further into the kitchen, "I thought since you placed number one, you wouldn't even consider Hong Kong."

Sakura abruptly put the towel down and looked bewildered at her father. "Otou-san, how could you say something like that?" She accused.

"It would be a waste of your talent," he answered simply.

"No way in hell I'm letting you go to _China_," Touya added, saying China like it was an insult.

Sakura turned to her father with a pleading look, but he did not acquiesce. Instead he gave her a strict look and turned towards the door. "You had better get cleaned up and head to school or you will be late, Sakura," she heard him call, "we will discuss this when you get back."

Sakura sighed and picked up the towel that was now lying on the floor. "You're not going anywhere," she heard Touya, "not if I can help it."

Sakura's hold on the towel tightened and she restrained herself from saying something that she might regret later on. The chance was not given as Touya walked out of the kitchen and into the foyer. Sakura put the towel down and looked at the front of her drenched white sailor shirt. She grimaced remembering that she only had two and that the other one was due to be washed.

"Well, nothing much more that I can do," she spoke to no one in particular and headed towards the stairs like a wounded dog with its tail between its legs. She silently wondered how her elated morning had become grim in such a small period of time.

*

The rest of her morning turned for the better, when she entered her class late, she was excused for her tardiness and was instead greeted with a congratulatory banner on the front wall of the main entrance. When she had seen the giant letters reading "Congratulations Sakura Kinomoto" and in smaller, but no less apparent, letter reading "for placing no. 1 on the National Exams", she had blushed a deep scarlet having not been used to receiving much attention from her peers. She had usually kept to herself and was modest when asked of grades and placement.

When the lunch bell finally rang at 12 sharp, Sakura was exhausted and relieved that her class was proud of her and not envious or jealous. Sakura walked promptly to her friend, Naoko's, class as it was their daily routine to eat lunch together on the playground. When she finally caught sight of her friend, who was busy chatting with some classmates in the corner, she smiled and waved frantically.

"I cannot believe it, number one!" Naoko declared when they finally walked down the hall towards the exit.

"Yeah," Sakura commented lamely on her own success.

"I knew all those nights awake helping you memorize weren't all in vain!"

"Naoko! Of course they weren't. And if anything, I think I have you to thank for my success."

"No way Sakura. It was all you, I just got you started in the right direction. It's like I was the dam, and you were the boy with the finger in the hole…or wait, was I the water and you were the finger in the hole in the dam…"

"Naoko!" Sakura grinned, "And anyway, it's like I was the boy and you were the finger."

"No, that wouldn't be right—"

"Oh, who cares," Sakura dismissed and sat down on the patch of grass that they had reserved as their lunch spot.

Naoko pushed her glasses back and watched Sakura play with the blades of grass under her. "What's gotten you so upset?"

Sakura sighed heavily and pulled her knees to her chest, "Well, it's not the results, believe me," she explained watching Naoko take a seat next to her, "it's just Otou-san and Onii-chan. They've already said a blatant 'no' to Hong Kong."

Naoko pursed her lips and stared into the soccer field that lay in the opposite direction of the school. "Well, you know your Onii-san can get a little over protective."

"A little?"

"Well, that's just his way of showing that he cares," Naoko tried to reason with her friend, "one day, you're going to need him Sakura. And right now you might think otherwise, but it's true. One day you're going to need him to save you from something and only then will you realize how much you actually need him."

"Well that's just it, Naoko. I don't want him to save me. I don't want him to always be there for me. I just want to fend for myself. I want to be independent for once. I don't want him to be watching my every action." Sakura sighed, "And I just wish Otou-san would see that too."

"So then make him see it," Naoko raised her voice, "make him see that you really want this. I mean you sure worked for it. It's a scholarship Sakura! Not everyone gets this chance. Do you know you are one of the only two students from Japan who gets a chance to go to Shanghai-Hong Kong."

Sakura nodded, "You're right Naoko." A look of determination graced her features, "I have to convince Otou-san, Onii-chan will come later."

*

Sakura twisted the metal door handle and awaited oblivion. She entered the house, repeating an age-old routine—taking off her bag and shoes and placing them on the floor near the entrance. She was finally glad to take off her cardigan as today was an especially scorching day and she was simply sweating.

Taking in a breath, she let the heavy and hot air of the hot day travel down to her lungs. Days like this made her feel uneasy in her black biker shorts and heavy knee-length skirt. She had also had cheerleading practice today and had to drudge through her routine, extremely tired and sleepy.

She entered the living room to find her brother and father sitting on the sofa with grim expressions on their face. They had obviously been fighting about something, Sakura concluded. She also was very much aware of whom that something was. When they finally took notice of Sakura, Touya was the first to speak up.

"Where have you been," he asked gruffly, "it's nearly seven."

"I was at cheerleading practice," she stated simply taking a seat opposite her male companions. "We're having the festival in a week, we need to perfect our routine," she explained further, anticipating the next question.

"Let's get to the point Sakura. You're not going," announced her brother, crossing his arms.

"What, no! Otou-san! We haven't even talked about it," Sakura protested in a high-pitched voice, already losing what little hope she had acquired.

"Well, alright, let's hear it Sakura, what do you have to say," Touya spoke again, cutting off his father.

"I..well, I…I really want to go! It was a scholarship, and I worked hard Tou-san! I did and it's S-H-K, they hardly take anyone, let alone give scholarships out like they were party favours! Please Tou-san, I want to go and learn." She took a breath and collected her thoughts, "That's what I really want Tou-san! To learn! I go to Tomoeda, and I love it, I do. But I think of all the possible things I can do and learn at the Academy, all the people I can meet and learn from—"

"That's just IT Sakura!" Touya interrupted loudly, "that's exactly the problem, you're going to go to that little prissy rich school of yours and you're going to live there and want to become like one of them and you're going to feel regret that you don't have their cars or their designer labels and Otou-san and I won't be there to set you straight!"

Sakura stared bewildered at her brother, "I can't believe you said that Onii-Chan!" she screamed, "I know we can't afford a lifestyle like theirs, but I'm getting this chance to be able to afford an education like theirs and you won't let me have it!"

"That's not just it Sakura," Fujitaka spoke for the first time in the conversation. "It's that you will be away from home and you're still very young."

"I'm going into grade eleven Otou-san!" She tried thoroughly frustrated, "All I ask is that you trust me." She looked to her father with pleading eyes, "please Otou-san, I really want this. Please…"

Her father did not acquiesce, "I don't know Sakura, I think that after getting those Japanese test results back, that you have a very fine future here. I think it would be best if you continued your studies here in Tomoeda."

"Yeah, what's wrong with continuing your studies here," Touya said and nodded to his father, "I think that we've come to a decision."

Sakura got up abruptly, screamed in frustration and ran towards the door.

Touya quickly got up after her, fully intent on bringing her back—to her senses.

"Wait—Touya," Fujitaka stood up and took his son's arm, "let her go, she just needs to cool off a little."

Touya reluctantly sat back down on the sofa and sighed dejectedly.

*

In her mind she knew exactly what she wanted, but respect and propriety told her that she was not going to win this war. Sakura sat on the porch and rested her head on her knees. She needed time to think things thoroughly.

Sakura marched through the living room not two hours later. Fujitaka and Touya were fighting again, and Sakura sat down on the loveseat. When they noticed her, they stopped and looked away.

Her father was the first to speak this time. "You can go," he stated simply.

"What?!" Both Sakura and Touya jumped from their seats.

"We're trusting you." He said with a shrug, "Now, go pack before I change my mind."

Sakura grinned at her father and ran up the stairs.

Touya glared at her back. This wasn't over.

*


	2. Chapter 2

War is never arbitrary, it has reason, and it has history.

Sakura awoke to a feeling of complete and utter dread. Her father and brother were fighting yet again. She put her hands over her ears and counted to ten.

"I don't see it!" Touya shouted at his father, "This is ridiculous! The girl is hardly sixteen—"

"She _is _sixteen."

"—Fend for herself, let alone live by herself—"

"I think she's proven that she can take care of herself. She received the highest mark without tutors or cram school."

"—Boys will do to her, those dirty Chinese—"

"Now, now Touya that's unfair."

"—And she's and so naïve and innocent—"

"Touya!" Fujitaka shouted, silencing the younger man, "that's enough."

Fujitaka took a seat on a dinning table chair and proceeded to rub his temples. "I am the father and I make the final decision."

Touya huffed and took a seat across him. "There will be conditions, of course," his father continued, "and if anything goes wrong, Sakura will be on the first plane home."

"And I'll be the first one to make sure that happens."

Sakura rose from bed and trudged her way across the hall to the bathroom. Today was her last day at Tomoeda High and she wanted to make sure it went well.

"SAKURA!" came the voice of her father, "come downstairs, we want to have a word."

Sakura brushed a hand trough her tangled mess and stared at her reflection. The excitement in her face didn't lie: she was leaving tomorrow night. The corners of her eyes lifted and she beamed at herself before running down the hall and back into her room.

"How long will this girl take?"

"Be patient, Touya."

Sakura pulled on her white sailor shirt, tugged up her socks and secured her locks with a band that Naoko had forced her to buy.

"What is taking her so long, I have work to get to."

"Touya, patients."

Sakura deliberated on whether she should wear her pink teddy bear pin or her star and hearts purple pin. Finally deciding that neither was good enough, she grabbed for her bag and slung it across her front and started her trek down the hall.

She grabbed for a green apple as soon as she entered the kitchen. Her brother glared at her as she sat down across from him.

"Do you have everything ready for tomorrow?" Her father questioned from across the room.

"Yes."

"I spoke to your Headmaster, they're expecting you."

"Mm-hmm."

"Sakura, are you sure you want to do this? There's still time to reconsider."

"I'm sure, Otou-san."

"Okay, well, good. Then there are some things we need to discuss." The grave tone of voice that her took on signaled his seriousness.

"What is it?" She asked cautiously.

"You're not allowed to associate with Chinese boys, you are not to look at them, talk to them, or god-forbid start any sort of friendships with them." Her brother had spoken up.

"Onii-chan!"

"What Touya is trying to say is you is that you have to be on your guard. You're going to a place where you know no one, and no one knows you. You have to be careful in everything that you do, and you have to practice the utmost of vigilance."

"Otou-san, I understand. I will be careful."

"And Sakura, remember why you're going there."

Sakura grasped the meaning of the implicit message that her father was trying to send. She rose and collected her packed lunch from the counter.

"And Sakura," she heard her father, "one more thing."

"Yes Otou-san?"

"This is for you." And he picked up a little box from the counter of the kitchen and handed it to her.

"What is this?"

"It was your mother's."

Sakura opened the box and stared at the golden heart and key pendant. She had seen this before. Her mother used to wear it all the time.

"Thanks Tou-san." She smiled and reached around her neck to put it on.

*

"I'm happy and sad at the same time."

"Mm-hmm."

"Care to ask why I'm happy and sad at the same time, Sakura?"

"Why, Naoko, are you happy and sad at the same time?"

"Because, Sakura, on the one hand I'm happy that you got this great opportunity and that you get to go exploring and make great new friends and have tons of fun, but on the other hand, I won't get to see you for a long time."

"I'm not going to stay there forever."

"I know," Naoko frowned, "but still."

Sakura ran her hands over the blades of grass under her.

"And knowing you, you might do something brash and I won't be there to set you straight."

"I don't need any setting straight. I'm very level-headed."

"I know, but still. All those kids there must be so smart."

Sakura tugged at the pendant around her neck.

"Something might happen and then who will you use as a sounding board."

"Nothing is going to happen."

"I know, but still."

"Hmm."

"Oh will you stop being so cold and just say that you'll miss me."

Sakura grinned.

*

Sakura checked one last time to make sure that she had gotten everything on her list. She wasn't taking many things with her. Everything that she really needed was already going to be there. So she had packed her clothes and other essentials, and all in all, her room had remained practically untouched. As a last thought, she grabbed some pictures of her family from her photo album and stuffed them into her black Tomoeda school bag.

Her father and brother were waiting for her in the living room.

"Do you have everything?" It was her father.

"Yes."

"Touya help your sister with her bags." Touya got up and stepped around Sakura to grab her luggage.

"Let's go then."

*

To say she was just a little nervous would be a lie. The truth was that Sakura Kinomoto was proverbially shaking in her boots. She had never left her family even for a night, and now here she was, moving out. At least, that's what she thought this encompassed. Some sort of rite of passage that she surely wasn't ready for. And despite the fact that she had spent the last two weeks trying to convince her father (she hadn't really cared what Touya had had to say), she wondered now if what she was doing was the right thing.

Her father had brought up valid points, and Touya, well, he was just playing the part of the over-protective older brother. She had to give credit where it was deserved. But the feeling of there being something greater, something bigger than Tomoeda just wouldn't leave her. Life didn't throw chances out on a whim, so if she got this chance, she would be foolish to ignore it.

Her age was the issue, she had guessed. Her father couldn't overcome that hurdle as of yet. And even as she rested her head on the ebony head-cushion, she could just imagine her father's worried expression, wondering if she was safe, wondering if something had happened on the plane, wondering is she were airsick. It was a parental instinct, and there really was nothing to deter it. But that was the kind of thing she wasn't going to miss. The kind of thing that she was trying to get away from. The worrying.

For years, she had wanted to be her own person, but being under the shadows of a worrisome parent and an over-protective brother didn't help in the least. So she smiled, thinking that she could finally have some sort of existential freedom.

She arrived at the Hong Kong International Airport only 5 hours later, a shorter trip than what she had expected. She hadn't had a window seat, but she did manage to catch sight of some of the nightly landscape as they descended onto the runway.

A big smile was plastered on her face, and the excitement that was bubbled up inside her began to revitalize at the sight of the city. It was night and Hong Kong was a city of lights.

Across from her, a family of four happily chatted in Cantonese about seeing their relatives. Thankfully, Sakura's Cantonese was immaculate. It was required only when a student entered middle school, but Sakura had taken up the language when she was a mere 8, finding it both a challenge and a hobby.

She couldn't thank the heavens enough. If it wasn't for her vigorous study habits and her passion for knowledge, there was no way she would have been granted admission to the best school in all of Eastern Asia on a scholarship, no less.

It was an hour later when she had finally checked out of the customs and security, thanking Kami again that nothing was wrong with her papers (her father had triple checked before she had left). She retrieved her entrance package from her Tomoeda school bag and flipped through it looking for an address. She had no idea where anything was. And she didn't have money for any mishaps either. Her father had given her just enough to cover a taxi.

Her luggage had included two medium-sized black suitcases (she had shamelessly borrowed one from Naoko's family), and her black Tomoeda school bag as her carry-on. They weren't very heavy and she didn't find the need to rent a trolley. Although she was seriously considering getting one now as she had spent the last 20 minutes aimlessly trying to find the commuter exit.

She anxiously looked down at her watch. 1:25 it signaled. Correcting her watch was her first order of duty. She stood in the middle of the lobby, setting her watch an hour back to local time. She had a meeting with the headmaster tomorrow at 10 AM sharp. She wanted to at least get some sleep, although she highly doubted that that would be possible tonight, considering the circumstances and all.

Sakura had managed to find an empty cab. The driver had put her luggage in the trunk and then proceeded to read the address she had provided him. He nodded and informed her that it would about an hour to get there. She sighed.

The Shanghai-Hong Kong Academy, or "Shika" as the driver had enthusiastically informed her, was 20 miles west of Victoria Peak. It was located in a sparsely populated area, among miles of forest and mountain. The campus, where she was staying, was a 15-minute walk from the actual school building. It was just off of the end of the property. Aside from the school and the campus, and consequently, the forest and mountain, there was nothing around the area. It was oddly secluded.

True to his word, the driver pulled into the driveway of the property no more than an hour later. "That'll be $500," he curly informed.

Sakura reluctantly pulled out five $100 notes and handed it to him. She exited the car and stared at the two impending wrought-iron gates. The driver brought out her luggage and bade her goodbye.

She was truly on her own now.

Her night had been surreal. Everything about moving to a new place, temporary or not, was always surreal. It seemed like she were in a different reality, and soon enough her giddy self was back. Testing the waters, she stepped towards the gates. A gatehouse was located about three feet to the west. She wheeled her luggage towards the it.

Inside sat the concierge. He was dressed to the nines, complete with a tie.

"Uhm, excuse me," her voice came out small, "I'm a transfer student. I just got here."

He smiled at her, and pressed a button on his keyboard, motioning her in. The gates opened silently. She grabbed the handle of her luggage and wheeled them inside. On the other side, the concierge was waiting for her.

"I'm just going to lead you to the porter's lodge where they will help you out."

"Oh, thank you." The concierge took a hold of one of her luggage pieces and led her down the pathway. Intricate black street lamps lightened the path that they were currently walking on, but it was too dark for Sakura to take anything else in with detail.

The porter's lodge laid in a brick building not too far from the front gates. The concierge took her inside and spoke briefly to the whom she assumed to be the porter. The porter nodded and looked towards her, "Do you have your admission package with you?"

Sakura nodded fiercely.

"Great, may I just have a look at them?" He turned towards his table-top computer and starting doing something

Sakura reached into her school bag and took out said papers. She walked over to the oaken desk and handed them to the porter.

The porter was a stout middle-aged man with truly thick glasses. His beady eyes stared down at the documents and his mouth was set into a thin line. The concierge, who was still standing leisurely by the door, was in stark contrast. He was young, tall, and a smile played on his lips. He was looking at Sakura, a curious expression on his face. Sakura looked back at him for a moment, but then shied away and resumed staring at her feet.

"Okay, it's done," came the thick voice of the porter, he took her documents and stashed them away. "You have a meeting with the headmaster at 10 AM tomorrow at the school. You can pick up your uniform and supplies from the school store tomorrow morning as well."

"Thank you."

"The concierge will show you to your room."

"Sure," the concierge spoke up, "right this way."

Sakura took hold of her luggage and headed down the hall. It was a short walk.

"So, where are you transferring from?"

I'm sorry Touya. I'm sorry Touya. "Japan."

"That's nice. I'm Yukito by the way. If you ever need any help, don't hesitate to ask."

"Thanks," she replied feebly, they were now going up their third pair of stairs, "do you work at the, uh, entrance?"

"Yeah, I do the night shift a couple times a week. It's a part time thing."

"Oh," because she had nothing better to say. When they arrived on the third floor, he led her down another hallway. Her room was the fifth door to the left. Yukito handed her the keys and left, wishing her good luck.

Sakura fumbled with the keys for a couple of seconds and entered the room. It wasn't that bad. It was about the size of her own room back in her country.

Oh God.

Country.

She was in a different country now.

The thought had just hit home.


	3. Chapter 3

All warfare is based upon deception.

She was up at the crack of dawn. Whatever doteful sleep she had hopelessly wished for had not come. The two hours of sleep that she did manage to get, however, were without event. She had suspected her lack of dreams was due to her tire and not because she was feeling any sort of comfort. Because she wasn't.

It was absolutely frightening. The room was much smaller than what she had made it out to be last night. Her bed was a single and took up about a quarter of the space. Across from the bed was a desk, an armoire, and a drawer. That was all she was going to need really. She was happy enough to be here.

Her stomach signaled her hunger, and she wondered whether she could head down to the dining hall for breakfast. But first, she needed to find a bathroom.

It wasn't too far from her room, only about three or so doors down. She quietly closed the door behind her, walked to the mirror and looked at herself. She was a mess, her hair was all over the place, her green eyes had bags below them and as she did a little twirl, she noticed her almost anorexic frame.

Some food would definitely do her good.

She found the dining hall without too much trouble. Hot breakfast was being served and she grabbed a plate and sat down at one of the many empty tables. There weren't a lot of students around. She suspected that not many students from the school lived on campus and that the campus was probably specifically made for the scholarship students. That would explain the overall shabby appearance of the building, and the general lack of funds for it as well.

Five students had shown up throughout the course of breakfast. Five. There were five people living in the three-storey building. She had practically had the entire third floor all to herself.

At 7 AM, Sakura decided that she would drop by the school store to pick up her uniform and supplies. She put on her maroon school cardigan and white knee-length skirt and headed through the porter's lodge and out the door.

She was stunned.

The school grounds were beautiful. Tomoeda paled in comparison. The grass was freshly mowed and as she walked down the granite stone footpath, a gardener was busy pruning rose bushes along side the path. A small gate lay at the end of the footpath and she could see the school from there.

It was styled in an Oxbridge manner, 5 stories tall, a stone building with a greening copper tower in the middle. It was expansed in four directions, ivy covering every square inch possible. She could already foretell the quadrangle that lay in the middle of the impressive structure.

Thankfully no students were present as of yet. This was her chance. She ran across the street and into the school grounds. The school store wouldn't be too far from the foyer. She tugged on the strap of her Tomoeda school bag—a habit out of nervousness—and entered trough the tall oaken doors.

She was right. She hadn't any idea where anything was. Unlike an average school that was divided into two hallways, a couple of classrooms, and an office here or there, Shanghai-Hong Kong Academy was an enigma.

A fifteen-foot ceiling swayed above her as she took her first steps in. The hallway was lined with roman columns, marble and granite sparkled back, cheery wood and mahogany doors taunted her as she stepped further into the space. No expense was spared. She had entered a school fit for a king.

She walked down the hallway to her right, and to her great surprise, there stood the sign, 'SHIKA SUPPLIES', and an arrow pointing left. She followed the arrow and soon arrived at the store. A relatively young woman was sitting behind the counter.

"Hi, can I help you?" She asked as she took notice of Sakura.

"Uhm, I'm here to get my school uniform."

"Sure, just follow me." Sakura did follow her.

She stood Sakura on a height and took her measurements. Then she brought out a pair of uniforms. "Try these on for size," and the woman pointed her towards a changing room. Sakura stared. There was a changing room in the store.

Oh God, Touya had been right. What had she gotten herself into? Not wanting to dwell on her ignorance, she took the uniform and entered the small cubicle. The shirt was relatively cute, she supposed. A High strung neckline and short sleeves. An option of a V-tie or a regular school tie (she opted for the less fashionable, yet more functional regular tie), a black or plaid vest in school colours (she once again opted for black) and a creme skirt with maroon lining. The school emblem was on every piece of clothing. She didn't know how they had managed to do that. Once again, no expenses were spared.

Sakura went to move out of the cubicle. But something felt off. She moved again. There was some sort of free airflow around her legs In Tomoeda, her skirt had been a modest knee-length, sometimes paired with biker shorts when she felt the need. And now as she looked down at the creme colored concoction, she was abhorred. She couldn't wear that. Half her thighs were naked, for Kama's sake. She'd never worn anything so short in her entire life. She had lived with a father and an over-protective brother, no surprise, but it somehow still felt wrong.

She poked her head out of the cubicle. "Hum, do you have a size bigger for the skirt?"

"What's wrong dear? It doesn't fit?" The women spoke from across the room.

"No it's fine, it's just that, err, I was wondering if you had anything….longer?" Sakura looked around the store. Anywhere, but her.

The woman stared at the odd young girl in front of her. "Afraid not," she said, "is there a medical or…aesthetic reason why?"

Sakura thought on that. She could lie. But that would mean lying. And she wasn't about to become a liar over nothing. "No."

"Come out, let me have a look." The woman was approaching the cubicle.

No, no, no, no. Get away wicked woman. "Just come out, let me have a look see." Hesitantly, Sakura left the cubicle. "Now what were you afraid, God knows with legs like that. And it fits just fine. Could even take a couple inches off."

Sakura stared at the reflection in the changing mirror. Who was that crazy woman talking about, because it surely couldn't be her.

"Now you take that one to wear for today, and I'll have the rest sent to the tailor to be fixed up. I've your size now."

Sakura went back into the cubicle and stuffed her regular clothes into her school bag. She walked out into the main room of the store where the woman was busy filling out sheets. "Is there anything else I need?"

"You need to replace those shoes." Sakura looked down at her black sneakers. "Come here."

"No, no, no. I don't wear heels," Sakura was in hysterics looking at what the lady was taking out of the box. Was she going for a makeover or something?

"That's what I thought," the woman sighed, "we'll just have to do with these then." She reached for another box and took out small black flats. Sakura went to slip them on. "And no socks."

"What if it gets cold?"

"Stockings."

Sakura looked at the woman funny. Wondering why she was doing this. She wasn't aware that she had voiced that last thought.

"You scholarship girls never know what you're getting yourselves into, do you. Well dear when you get your booklist today, come back afterschool and I'll fetch them for you."

"And what am I getting myself into?" Sakura asked hot-headedly, "I'm here to study, not become a fashionista."

"Then you don't know the first thing about Shika politics."

Ugh. It was the way she had said it. So flippantly, so dismissive. Like she had made up her opinion and there was no disputing it.

Sakura nodded and left. This time, the halls were not empty. And Sakura was definitely not wearing the shortest skirt.

In fact, skirt aside, no one was wearing anything like her. They were all dressed like they had just walked off the runway. What was going on?

Heels tapped down the halls as groups of girls walked in and out of the classrooms. They wore colourful handbags, scarves, and all sorts of accessories. And they were so tall, so beautiful. She felt like a mathematical outlier. The one on the end of the curve, the exception that no one ever counts. The boys all wore different vests. Maybe there were houses or divisions or something that she wasn't aware of. Walking down another hall lead her to the locker rotunda. Girls were stationed beside their cherrywood lockers, laughing at each other. More girls and boys joined in and soon the school was crawling with students.

They were students from affluent families, families with blue blood, and old money that went back to their forefathers. They were from the top echelons of society. And she was a nobody.

The bell rang, and students rushed though the halls. Sakura was caught in the middle of the herd. Apparently, they didn't care who ran into whom, and before she even knew it, she was given a rough shove from the back, and was sent hurdling into another student. The sound of glass breaking stopped everyone in their tracks.

"BITCH!" She hadn't even had time to think, and she was thrust harshly into the wooden lockers behind her. Little splinters made their way into her back. Her head was spinning and her back heavily throbbed. She was dislodged completely from her surroundings.

She opened her eyes and raised her arms in defense as soon as she saw the next blow coming. "Scumbag! Who the fuck do you think you are?" It was the high voice of a girl. She was livid.

The other girl's heel dug into her hair and pushed down sharply into her scalp. It was a small gash, but enough to send Sakura sobbing in pain. Three more girls surrounded the first girl in a circle and started cheering her on. Sakura was freely crying now. In thorough pain. She covered her face with her hands and sat motionless as she watched the group of students cheer her assaulter on. She felt the taller girl's heel dig into her head once again, and then—"Meilin!"—it all stopped. "That's enough now."

"Syaoran! She cut my fucking hand. That bitch," the other girl, Meilin, was saying. Sakura was in hysterics. She was sobbing madly, on the verge of hyperventilation, tears gushing down her face, her breathing erratic.

"Cut right through it, look at all this blood," Meilin showed her hand to the group of girls around her.

"We'll take you to the nurse, Meilin," said one of the member's of the trio.

And the show was over. All the students had some gossip now. Their morning wasn't as mundane as before. Something interesting had finally happened.

Sakura covered her eyes and willed for the tears to stop. But they wouldn't. No one would come for her.

She desperately wiped at her eyes, her vision, somewhat clear now, took in her surroundings and she noticed the only remaining person in the hallway standing opposite her. His eyes were angry, and his mouth was set in a tight line. He was the one to yell, to make the other girl stop. Should she have thanked him?

"Go back to where you came from," if he was angry, she couldn't tell. The control in his voice was remarkable.

He walked away and she watched his receding frame disappear from view.

And then the realization struck. She recognized that plaid vest—she had caught sight of it just as she was pushed. No. He wasn't there to help her. He had been the one to start it. He had been the one to push her into the other girl.

She picked herself up after a while and found a bathroom. The tears didn't stop. She eventually sat on a toilet seat and rubbed her raw cheeks and wiped at the salty water. How she wished her Otou-san was hear, her Onii-chan.

*

"I'm hear to see the Headmaster. I have an appointment with him at 10."

"Sure," the secretary said, "he'll see you in about 10 minutes. Why don't you have a seat."

She sat on the one of the beige chairs lining the foyer of the office. The secretary was staring at her oddly. She knew why.

She wasn't bleeding but she was scratched up. Sakura had tried to fix herself up, but found that she didn't have the will to do anything. She stared at the opposite wall for some time until the phone rang and the secretary picked up. "He'll see you now," she informed.

Sakura got up, bowed slightly, and opened the tainted glass door that lead to the Headmaster's office.

The Headmaster was young. That was her first thought. He appeared to be in his mid 30's. He was hunched over his desk, a pen in hand, scribbling away at something or another. When he noticed the door open, he stood up from his seat and approached Sakura.

"Hello Sakura Kinomoto." He held out his hand and she shook it.

"Hello Headmaster," she said, a bit shy.

"Please, take a seat," he pointed to a leather chair across his desk. She sat down, her back hurting from that mornings excursions.

"I just wanted to run some legal documents over with you, nothing more. But first tell me how you like the school so far?"

She didn't know how to answer that question. Should she have come clean about what had happened that morning or should she lie and forget about the entire incident. She didn't want to lie, but it didn't seem as if any of the teacher's cared enough to stop it that morning, so why would the Headmaster care.

"It's great," she had decided to lie.

"Good, good. Do you have any questions for me?" She shook her head. He was drumming his fingers on the mahogany desk. "So I'll just have you read these over then," and he picked up a file on his desk. "It's pretty straightforward, your tuition is $250,000 with books and supplies included. If you keep your grades above a 90, then you get full scholarship renewal access for next year. If you do anything that the school finds inappropriate, we have the right to revoke the grant. Is that okay?"

"Yes Headmaster."

"Good, so you can just take these outside and read through them and then bring them back in and sign them. Alright?"

She nodded and retrieved the package, exiting the office. She sat back on the beige chair in the offices' foyer and starting reading through the package. She was six pages in when the door to the foyer burst open. The secretary yelped and quickly picked up her phone, calling what she guessed to be security.

Her heart sped up, it was the boy from earlier. Was he here to hurt her again? She watched carefully for his reaction, but he didn't even pay any attention to her and marched right through the foyer, throwing the Headmaster's door open.

"GET THEM THE FUCK OUT!"

The Headmaster was oddly calm. As if he was almost expecting this outburst.

"Li, I'm in the middle of a meeting, why don't you go schedule an appointment with my secretary."

Li hadn't listened and he threateningly strode towards the Headmaster's desk. "I'm going to repeat myself once, and once only. Get. Those. Bastards. Away from my stuff!"

The Headmaster sighed and rose from his desk. He crossed his arms and looked at the young man in front of him. "There's nothing I can do even if I wanted to. They have a warrant."

Apparently this wasn't the right answer as Li blew up again, "What the fuck do you mean, you're the goddamn Headmaster, this is your fucking property, get them out now!"

Sakura had never heard so much colourful vocabulary in her life.

"Someone else put in the complaint, and it's not as if there is anything in your locker anyhow," the Headmaster eyed Li, "right?"

Li was livid, every muscle in his body was twitching. Even Sakura could tell that there was definitely something in there. In the course of the event, she had subconsciously walked into the office, standing by the doorway.

"Xun Xiang," the Headmaster called his secretary, "call security. Tell them to bring them up here before they open anything."

The secretary did as told. "Why don't you sit down, Li?"

"Fuck you," was hit curt reply.

The Headmaster sat on his chair, pinching his bridge to ward off the headache he knew was coming. It was at that point that Li looked around the office, almost as if paranoid, and spotted her.

Their eyes met briefly and she started shaking. Literally quivering to the marrow of her bones.

"Get out!" He barked pointing at the doorway.

*

* * *

The Cherry Tree on Mauvi Street- Chapter 5 is now up!


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